Archbishop Blair warns against racism and prejudice in letter to the faithful

People gather near Capitol Hill in Washington, Aug. 10. The country's Catholic bishops have created a new Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism to address the "sin of racism" as illustrated by the hatred and violence the country witnessed during white supremacist demonstrations in Charlottesville, Virginia, Aug. 11 and 12. (CNS photo/Tyler Orsburn) Archbishop Leonard P. Blair has written a letter to all of the faithful of the Archdiocese of Hartford to encourage unity and to denounce racism and prejudice.

The letter reminds the faithful that we "all need to be concerned, and also very vigilant, about the diabolical seeds of division and hatred that are springing up, or finding renewed growth, in our country today on the basis of race and ethnicity."

In the letter, Archbishop Blair says that in this period of implementation of the archdiocese's pastoral plan, the people of the archdiocese can be "models of 'unity in diversity.'"

The letter will be read at Masses this weekend, inserted in parish bulletins, sent to parishioners online or posted in church vestibules. See text here:

Saying there is an "urgent need" to address "the sin of racism" in the country and find solutions to it, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops established a new Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism on Aug. 23.